YMT Blog

About the blog

Welcome to our blog - the place to be for news on all things YMT! We will be sharing interviews, reviews from our team of young critics around the UK, tips and advice, special offers, competitions and promotions and a monthly overview of the ‘world of theatre’ by our guest blogger, Cyril (the office Squirrel). This is a space for YMTers and Alumni to share stories, so if you have something you want to say, please get in touch by emailing: mail@ymtuk.org. We will also be giving away special YMT merchandise (hoodies, badges, bags and t-shirts) for the best comments – so get involved!

03/08/17

Julie Atherton: Director

After training at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Julie Atherton is one of the West Ends foremost leading ladies. She began her career playing the lead role of Sophie in the West End production of Mamma Mia! From that she took the role of Serena Katz in the UK tour of Fame! From there, she performed at the legendary Chichester Festival Theatre in Out of This World and in Just So where she played the Kolokolo bird. Moreover, she was part of the premier of the new musical Ordinary Days at the Finborough Theatre and Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi at the Liverpool Playhouse.
In 2006, Julie was chosen to be part of the original cast of Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End. She played the role of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut from 2007-2009. After Avenue Q, she created the role of Charlotte in the new musical Through the Door by Lauren Mark Wythe and Judy Freed at the Trafalgar Studios in the West End.

In 2011, Julie starred as Sister Mary Roberts in the first UK Tour of Sister Act: The Musical. In 2013 she was featured as 'French Teacher' in the world premiere of the musical 'LIFT' by Craig Adams and Ian Watson, at the Soho Theatre. This was followed in 2014 by the title role in 'Thérèse Raquin', again by Craig Adams with Book and Lyrics by Nona Shepphard. After a sold out run at The Finborough Theatre the production transferred to Park Theatre in Finsbury Park.
Julie has also released three solo albums “A Girl of Few Words”in 2006, “No Space for Air” in 2010, and “Rush of Life” in 2014. She also released Avenue Q’s official recording of “There’s a Fine Fine Line”.

Mark Wirtz: Music & Lyrics

Mark is a pop music record producer, composer, singer, musician, author and comedian. His most famous output is in the 1960’s where we worked at the famous Abbey Road Studios with The Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. Wirtz is most famous for the song Grocer Jack (Excerpt from a Teenage Opera), the song that made it to number one in the charts in 26 countries worldwide in the 1960s.

Keith West: Music & Lyrics

Keith is a British rock singer, songwriter and music producer. He is rose to fame for being the lead singer of the famous 1960’s rock band “Tomorrow”. In 1964 he became acquainted with Mark Wirtz, where they both recorded Grocer Jack and it topped the UK charts at number 2. He also performed the song Sam which reached the top 40 in the same year. Releasing singles such as Revolution, and a solo album Wherever My Love Goes he has made his name in the music industry.

Pete Gallagher: Book, Additional Lyrics & Concept Developer

Pete has been performing professionally since 1983. Among his film and television credits are: Sarah & Duck, Nuzzle and Scratch, Jesus Christ Superstar, Waking the Dead, Casualty, My Hero, The Two of Us, Moon and Son, Bergerac and The Mrs Bradley Mysteries.
In the theatre, he has appeared in Don't Dress for Dinner, The Braille Legacy, The Fix, Shock Treatment, Moonlight and Magnolias, The Pirates of Penzance, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Doctor Dolittle, Jesus Christ Superstar(Lyceum and Arena Tour), The Rocky Horror Show, The Mystery Plays, Buddy, Godspell, Fields of Ambrosia, Frankenstein, Up on the Roof, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Lautrec, Guys and Dolls, Betrayal,and many, many others!

He has also directed dozens of including the award-nominate first U.K. Tour of Spring Awakening and the critically acclaimed gothic-punk A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Chelsea, and his Edinburgh 2008 transfer Missing Mel ran at the Cochrane Theatre in London, straight after Fairy Lights won first prize at the Windsor New Writing Festival. His play The Brothers Lionheart achieved a ‘Must See’ stamp at Edinburgh 2009 and was the number one Children’s Theatre Recommendation on the Edfringe website.
Pete is also a prolific writer. Projects, many currently in development, include: Gribblum Tales (TV series), and musicals Fanny Hill, 6 Ways, The Brothers Lionheart, The One, The Christmas Shop, Face2face and biog of a legend, Feelin' Good – the Anthony Newley Story. Plays include What Goes Around, Cryptic Lines and Tongues.

Wirtz has collaborated with West to finish the rock opera ready for its golden anniversary. Additional lyrics have been written by Pete Gallagher, who had the idea of completing the show, and who has managed to track down the children who sang the famous chorus in Grocer Jack.

Stuart Rogers: Choreography

Dance Captain/Ensemble in The Bodyguard (Adelphi Theatre, West End) as Dance Captain/Ensemble. We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre West End), Ash & Dance Captain in Never Forget (UK national tour), Ensemble & u/s Ren & Assistant Dance Captain in Footloose (UK tour), Sinatra (choreographed by Stephen Mear, UK tour), understudied and played the role of Pepper in Mamma Mia (Prince of Wales Theatre), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre, West End), Fame (Aldwych Theatre) where he understudied and played the roles of Goody, Schlomo and Nick Piazza, the roles of Fritz/Prince Bon Bon and Gobstopper in Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker (Sadler’s Wells and Japanese & Korean tour); Oh! What A Night as Swing & understudy to the roles of Sal & Stretch Mulligan (UK tour).

Television credits: Dancer for Emma Bunton on TOTP, T4, CDUK, The Kumars and the Lycra Style Awards. Other TV appearances include This Morning; GMTV; Victoria’s Secrets; Gloria Hunniford’s – Open House; The Queen’s 80th Birthday Celebrations at Buckingham Palace and Blue Peter.